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USCIS issues Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) as evidence that you are authorized to be employed in the United States for a specific time period.
Naturalization is the process to voluntarily become a U.S. citizen if you were born outside of the United States. In general, you may be eligible if you can show continuous U.S. residence for three to five years, are at least 18 years old, and demonstrate good moral character and loyalty to the U.S. Constitution. You must also take the English and civics test, unless you qualify for an English language exemption or a medical disability exception.
If you were born outside of the United States, there are two general ways to obtain U.S. citizenship through U.S. citizen parents. You can acquire U.S. citizenship at birth or you can derive citizenship from your parents after your birth but before the age of 18.
It is important to keep your Green Card (Permanent Resident Card) up-to-date. Without a valid Green Card, it may be difficult for you to prove that you are a lawful permanent resident and could affect your ability to travel or to prove your authorization to live and work in the United States.
To promote family unity, U.S. immigration law allows U.S. citizens to petition for a spouse, child or parent to come and live permanently in the United States.
To promote family unity, U.S. immigration law allows U.S. citizens to petition for their foreign-born spouse to come and live permanently in the United States.
A U.S. citizen may petition for a foreign national fiancé(e) to obtain a visa for travel to the United States to marry the United States citizen petitioner.
To promote family unity, immigration law allows lawful permanent residents of the United States (also called LPRs or Green Card holders) to petition for certain eligible family members to obtain immigrant visas to come and live permanently in the United States or to adjust their status to LPRs if they are currently living in the United States.
You may be eligible to become a lawful permanent resident based on an offer of permanent employment in the United States.
You may be eligible to apply for a Green Card (Permanent Resident Card) through your family, a job offer or employment, refugee or asylum status, or a number of other special provisions. In some cases, you may even be able to self-petition.
If you have been granted asylum status, you are eligible to apply for a Green Card (Permanent Resident Card) one year after receiving your grant of asylum.
If you were admitted to the United States as a refugee, you are required by law to apply for a Green Card (Permanent Resident Card) in the United States one year after your admission as a refugee.
The H-2 category allows temporary agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) visas for U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States. The H-3 category allows for foreign nationals coming temporarily to the United States to either receive training or to participate in a special education exchange visitor training program.
Lawful permanent residents are free to travel outside the United States, and temporary or brief travel usually does not affect your lawful permanent resident status. To travel to a foreign country, you will need to present a passport and your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).
Humanitarian parole is used sparingly to bring someone who is otherwise inadmissible into the United States for a temporary period of time due to a compelling emergency. There must be an urgent humanitarian reason or significant public benefit for the parole to be granted.
If you received your conditional permanent resident status through marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or being admitted to the United States as a fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen (and then marrying the U.S. citizen), your conditional permanent resident’s status is valid for only two years and cannot be renewed. You must file a petition to remove conditions on permanent resident status, or risk losing your lawful status.
If you want to extend your stay in the United States, you must file a request before your authorized period of stay expires. If you stay in the United States after your authorized period of stay has expired, you may be barred from returning and/or you may be removed (deported) from the United States. You also may be required to apply for a new visa in the country of your nationality.
If you are currently in an employment-based nonimmigrant status and want to extend your stay in the United States, your employer must file a petition for you.
The secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to an ongoing armed conflict (such as civil war), an environmental disaster (such as earthquake or hurricane) or an epidemic, or another extraordinary and temporary condition in the country.
Asylum status is a form of protection available to those who are already in the United States or seeking admission at a port of entry.
Each year, thousands of U.S. citizens adopt children from overseas. This is known as an intercountry adoption. USCIS plays a key role in the intercountry adoption process.
The Hague Adoption Convention is an international treaty that provides important safeguards to protect the best interests of children, birth parents and adoptive parents who are involved in intercountry adoptions.
If you were born in the United States, you are already a U.S. citizen (unless you were born to parents who were in the United States in a diplomatic capacity for a foreign country). If you were born outside of the United States and either one or both of your parents are or were U.S. citizens (by birth or naturalization), you may already be a U.S. citizen.
As a U.S. citizen, you may want to help a relative become a lawful permanent resident of the United States by obtaining what is often referred to as a “Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).”
As a U.S. citizen, you may want to help a relative become a lawful permanent resident of the United States by obtaining what is often referred to as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).
If you lose a citizenship document that was issued by USCIS or the former Immigration and Naturalization Service or your document has been stolen or damaged beyond repair, you may apply for a replacement certificate.
Members of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents (spouses and children) may be eligible for citizenship, to include expedited and overseas processing, under special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
As a battered spouse, child, or parent of a U.S. citizen, you may self-petition for an immigrant visa petition under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), without the abuser’s knowledge. If you have an approved petition, you may be eligible to file for a Green Card.
As a battered spouse, child, or parent of a U.S. citizen, you may self-petition for an immigrant visa petition under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), without the abuser’s knowledge. If you have an approved petition, you may be eligible to file for a Green Card.
To change the purpose of your visit while in the United States, you (or in some cases your employer) must file a request with USCIS on the appropriate form before your authorized period of stay expires.
Employers (or an agent, foreign employer, or association of U.S. agricultural employers when applicable) may request that an individual be classified as a temporary nonimmigrant worker. Employers must verify that the individual is authorized to accept employment in the United States.
Refugee status is a form of protection that may be granted to those who meet the definition of refugee and who are of special humanitarian concern to the United States.
If you have been admitted to the United States as a refugee or if you were granted status in the United States as an asylee within the previous two years, you may request follow-to-join benefits for one spouse.
If you entered the United States as a refugee within the past two years or were granted asylee status within the past two years, you may petition for your child to obtain derivative refugee or asylee status.
The L-1A and L-1B visas are 2 types of work visas that are available for temporary intracompany transferees who work in managerial positions or have specialized knowledge.
If your employee has a visa to work in the United States temporarily, and you wish to extend his/her stay in the United States, you must file a request before that employee’s authorized stay expires.
The E visa category includes treaty traders and investors who come to the United States under a treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States and the country of which the treaty trader or investor is a citizen or national. This category also includes Australian specialty occupation workers.
Your employer or agent may file a petition to classify you as an H-1B temporary worker if you work in a specialty occupation, engage in cooperative research and development projects administered by the U.S. Department of Defense, or are a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability.
The O-1 visa is for the individual who has extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry, and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.
A P-1A Internationally Recognized Athlete is an individual coming to the United States temporarily to perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete, at an internationally recognized level of performance.
A P-1B Member of an Internationally Recognized Entertainment Group is an individual coming as a member of an entertainment group that has been recognized internationally.
You may be classified as a P-2, Individual Performer or Part of a Group Entering to Perform Under a Reciprocal Exchange Program, or P-3, Artist or Entertainer Coming to Be Part of a Culturally Unique Program, if you are coming to the United States temporarily to perform, teach or coach under a reciprocal exchange program or a culturally unique program.
You may be eligible to be classified as a R‑1 nonimmigrant in a Religious Occupation if you are seeking to enter the United States temporarily to work solely as a minister or in a religious occupation or vocation.
Each year, thousands of U.S. citizens adopt children from overseas. As a U.S. citizen you may petition for your adoptive child through an Immediate Relative Petition. Your child will receive an immigrant visa if the child is found eligible.
You may be eligible for an employment-based, first-preference visa if you have an extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a multinational executive or manager.
As a permanent worker you may be eligible for an employment-based, second preference visa if you are a member of the professions holding an advanced degree or its equivalent, or you are a foreign national who has exceptional ability.
You may be eligible to be classified as a skilled worker, professional, or unskilled worker (other workers) depending upon your education, skills and work experience.
Special Immigrants are individuals who may be eligible for lawful permanent resident status based on specific visa categories that are listed in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Whether you are eligible to be classified as a special immigrant depends on the requirements for each visa category.
The Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors.
The Q-1 visa allows people to come to the United States to take part in an established international cultural exchange program for the purpose of providing practical training, employment, and the sharing of the history, culture and traditions of their country of nationality.
If you are currently in an employment-based nonimmigrant status and want to change to another employment-based nonimmigrant classification, your employer must file a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) with any required supporting documentation on your behalf.
The L-1A and L-1B visas are two types of work visas that are available for temporary intracompany transferees who work in managerial positions or have specialized knowledge.
Widows or widowers who were married to U.S. citizens at the time of the citizen’s death may apply for a permanent residence card (Green Card).
Employers may file a petition for an individual to be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States.
As an employer, you may petition for a foreign worker to become a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) based on an offer of permanent employment in the United States.
If you are a spouse or unmarried child (under the age of 21) of an employment-based nonimmigrant, you may seek an extension of your authorized period of stay when your spouse or parent’s employer petitions to extend their stay.
If you received your conditional permanent resident status through investment in a “new commercial enterprise” as a foreign investor (EB-5 Program), your status is valid for only two years and cannot be renewed. You must file a petition to remove conditions on permanent resident status, or risk losing your lawful status.